Arizona State men's basketball team looks to keep momentum against Utah, Colorado
So far the Arizona State men's basketball team has done what it was expected to do. It lost to the quality opponents on its schedule and beat those against whom it was favored. There aren't any wins that will go a long way in furthering a postseason resume come March.
Well, the Sun Devils (8-5, 2-0) are going to get that chance this week as two quality foes stop in for games at Desert Financial Arena. Utah (11-2, 2-0) provides the opposition for a Pac-12 After Dark showdown at 9 p.m. Thursday. Colorado (11-2, 2-0) visits for a 6 p.m. tilt on Saturday.
Both foes were just outside the top 25 in the latest national rankings and would be considered "Quad 1" opponents. That's the highest caliber win a team can get.
ASU is riding some momentum after pulling out heart-stopping wins in road games at Stanford and California, the only team in the conference to sweep a road series in the opening week of Pac-12 play. It trailed by 12 against the Cardinal and was down by 16 against the Bears.
Junior point guard Frankie Collins (13.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.2 spg) was the catalyst in both victories both on the offensive and defensive ends of the court. He acknowledged that his team can't afford to fall into that pattern of having to rely on a late rally.
"It was fun, just because of the excitement of it and the ending. That was the best part for us because we always tend to fight throughout the game so it was fun mostly because we got the two road wins," he said. "It's worked out for us so far but we can't depend on that. It's not always going to work out. We have to come out stronger and take control of the game earlier, like the whole game."
The sweep was pivotal because the Sun Devils had come into that set riding a three-game losing streak with two losses coming in rather lopsided fashion.
Coach Bobby Hurley had a team meeting after the losing streak as the team prepared for conference play and he stressed focus.
"It was kind of at a turning point where you got to make a decision, are you going to start consistently playing together, playing as a team, sharing the ball, appreciating your teammates, being happy for your teammates when something good happens," Hurley said.
"There are a lot of things that go into becoming a team and we showed flashes of it at different times of games when we were desperate in the nonconference," he added. "But top to bottom it wasn't what we were hoping for, hadn't come together, so we talked a lot. It wasn't a lot of basketball-related adjustments it was more trying to get everyone on the same page as far as competing and playing for each other and playing the right way."
Defense was a key
It was ASU's defense that proved pivotal down the stretch of both games. Hurley stressed that the team's identity came into play when some players who hadn't had good offensive performances made key plays on defense.
Jamiya Neal blocked Stanford's last shot as the buzzer sounded and had a deflection moments earlier. Jose Perez sprawled out on the court for a loose ball, corralling it and calling time put on what was crucial possession late.
"It's great to be 2-0 in the conference but the reality is the games are going to get more difficult starting this week," Hurley said. "We can't afford to play like we did the first half against Cal and expect to have a legitimate chance of winning. I'm hoping there's some carryover from how we finished the game where guys were hitting some shots."
Utah is led by fifth-year senior Branden Carlson, a 7-footer who is the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week and comes in averaging 18.4 points per game. He poses a tough matchup with Hurley saying he is also an underrated passer and that ASU must use its quickness to combat Utah's size.
He praised coach Craig Smith and his ability to keep the nucleus of his team together, which is the reason it has improved so much over the last two seasons.
Hurley added that Zane Meeks and Brycen Long will not be available this week. Meeks has missed eight games with a foot ailment while Long is out with a non-COVID health issue. The Sun Devils did get 7-foot-1 center Shawn Phillips back the last two games but he is still on a minutes restriction.
Because of those factors Hurley occasionally went to having five guards on the floor which helped generate some of the key turnovers the Sun Devils forced that helped get them back in the game. Hurley said he likes having that option but doesn't want to have to resort to that for long stretches.
Hurley singled out Collins for his contribution in taking over when the team needed that kind of performance. He had a career-high 25 in the win at Cal but also had six steals, a category in which he ranks third nationally.
Collins said the team is in a better place now than it was heading into the Christmas break.
"It was more to come back after the break with a new mindset, the mindset to come together and a new mindset to be committed to what we're trying to do," he said. "Guys came back with that mindset and we had two road wins and in the Pac-12 it's hard to get road wins so for us to do that it showed we did come back with the right mindset."
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State men's basketball prepares for Utah, Colorado matchups
